Whole Life Gardening

The Payoff

Garden Reports and Rejoicing – May 25

Sometimes things work, and occasionally they surpass our expectations. When I sprinkled the Anthriscus sylvestris ‘Raven’s Wing’ seeds in the area to the right of the ‘Minuta’ dwarf white pine, I hoped that a few would grow. The purple foliage of this perennial is worth growing all by itself, but is lovely when it’s topped by lacy white flowers in early summer.

I discovered that the blossoms are wonderful when lit by the early evening sun and I love the way that this dark-leaved perennial contrasts with the new growth on the pine. This combination wasn’t instant coffee, however. I sprinkled the Anthriscus seeds two years ago and last summer they were tiny, insignificant seedlings. It took two full seasons to reach the payoff. It was worth the wait.

I'm hoping that the Anthriscus self-seeds well this year so that I have a repeat performance in future seasons.